Collective Knightmares
by greenone15
Summary: A collection of stories that features Meta Knight with his loyal knaves and his battle with insanity and or the void that slowly consumes everything he had come to know and believe. Not much is worth saying beyond this point for the journey is about to begin.
1. Hour of the MetaWrath

**A/N: You probably saw this one coming because seriously I have only read one other story with this type of plot line and it was kind of saddening considering that a lot of people around me like that episode. Anyway, I try my luck on this but in the end it gets a little funky because I was half sleep half awake.**

**DISCLAIMER: We all know what this is going to say so yadda yadda yadda Not Mine. BLAh BLAH BLAH No Stealing.**

Hour of the MetaWrath

I can not contain it any longer. The demon within me grows stronger at each passing second. The walls of my sanity are peeling away to show case the insanity that lay underneath. Soon I will snap and loss myself within the intoxicating drug called Blood Lust. I can not control myself any more than I have when my friends had died in my hands. Forgive me Sir Jerca, Sir Kibble, Sir Nero and Lady Garlude for I have fallen to the same influence as you only I have sold my soul and spirit.

I sat within my small room waiting for the moon to rise and show its silvery face through the balcony that I would stand upon its railings to think. The maiden's face has always calmed the storm that rages with the internal battle against my free will and the beast. As it seems the visual picture has a neutral effect to both sides, for the beast is calm and hollows giving the other a chance to rest before the sun rises. Though the effect is wearing off as the growls come to replace the hollows that I could hear echo in the confines of my mind. It had been three weeks since WolfWrath attacked and it had left a legacy that I must carry out against my weakening will. The claw embed within my skull covered in a deadly chemical that my body decided to adopt to become stronger than submit to death. Though I wish for death than to live and hurt, possibly even kill, the innocent but it is all in the matter of time.

I had no idea of this until I became more and more aggressive towards every one even Kirby. I would sleep less and less to the point it seemed foreign hence one of the causes of my aggression. I started to carve meat more than anything, even candy became a disgusting thing to digest. My vision would become clouded with red when I smelt the pulsing blood within one of the children. I would stalk them in the shadows like a predator waiting to kill, on many occasions I was actually tempted to carry out the sinful act.

My sanity conflicted with developing thoughts of the surreal, some day I shall not be able about to tell nonfiction from the imaginary. That day came far too quickly for me to counteract. I have become so agitated at my situation I began to become more strict and feral during the sparing secessions I have with Sword and Blade. There was a particular sparing between us that evolved into a battle for their lives as they could sense something was and is wrong with me. My eyes could not resist turning the color of blood for I wanted to see theirs paint the ground. When Sword's defense slipped along with Blade's against my ruthless onslaught I had seen the opening for the last blow, I did not hesitant. The only thing that had truly saved then was not my will spontaneously returning but the sudden electricity traveling up my arm from Galaxia, its voice shouting for me to return from the feral state I found myself in; after it broke through the metal wall courtesy of the beast.

I had not realized that I was the one who let my guard down. That I had destroyed the courtyard instead of my knaves which I am thankfully for. That my senses have tried to focus on what is real and what is the opposite. The scenes in front of me changed so quickly I could not tell which was happening or all my imagination. Am I sparring like usual? Destroying the courtyard in trying to separate reality and the surreal? Or am I trying to kill my knaves? all of them having the echoing screech of Galaxia.

I held my head as the images clashed violently with the raging battle already budding heads with every thought I try to process. Is this what it feeling like when you finally snap? Is this experience proof that I have gone completely insane?

" Sir Meta Knight! Please stop! Your terrifying them!" That voice it was Blade' but who was this 'them'?

"Snap out of it already!" I could hear Sword shout as a new scene became present as the others faded. Have I been imagining everything or is this part of it too?

I could feel my sense of hearing finalize that those words are reality that the hurricane of images ended and the battle had come to a standstill.

My sense of vision came second as my shadow engulfed the forms of Fololo and Falala who quaked with fear as they hugged each other, seemingly gazing upon death or Nightmare himself. I had the feeling like I had woken up from a dream, a terrible incubo. Though I also soon felt the shock of Galaxia course through my body, that much of the nonfiction is sure real. I dropped the weapon of light and flames upon another louder scream from the demon twins their skin as pale as the white gleam in my eyes while I backed away, frightened and or surprised in my own actions. I am not sure how exactly I felt emotion wise, balancing between exhilarating and sickening.

I ran. Yes I have run before, but not like a retreat but more of trying to separate myself from the thoughts and actions of attempting to kill the innocent, it goes against my morals and my honor. After stopping on the grass of the courtyard with my hand resting upon the center fountain's rim and calming my nerves I could not remember what just transpired. The emotional high I came down from left me with a blank slate like the day after a animalistic party. Like my mind had reset itself, the existence of the battle vanishing. I returned to the scene after seemingly five minutes like I had done nothing wrong and went about my day as if I had not taken a nose dive into insanity for who knows how long.

Sword,Blade, Fofofo,and Fafafa had never looked at me the same way after the event as my eyes portrayed that of a feral animal. I had no objections to being avoided by them for they have every right to do so even if then I did not know the reason. I could feel the venom spread at a faster rate as I began to fantasize about what they blood would look like splattered on the castle's stone wall. What they're blood would taste like? What could make them petrified of me? Can I drag their soul away from their cold corpses and get away with it? Can a murder go unnoticed by many if none are around?

It was not difficult for my knaves, who despite their avoidance knew that it is best to figure out what is wrong with me and how to fix it, to tell that I had these thoughts as my eyes changed to the color they did not recognize but also knew it was not good. While my gaze became the matching glare of the demon who cursed my soul and spirit with its putrid demonic aura and thoughts.

Tiff was soon told of my strange actions and behavior, thankfully she has not been one of the children I have stalked like prey nor had her feelings of fear lingered. Otherwise she would have known before hand, causing rumors to spread about the captain of the guards going nuts and coming to false conclusions that would have only made the matter worse than it already is. Again and again she tried to convince me that I am not a monster I have rapidly come to believe. Try as she may her words are transforming into rubbish. Like an annoying fly that would not stop its antics, she had promised that she and the others would figure something out to save me from the beast devouring the tissues of my metal capacity.

I had not given any sign that I have believed her or not though I knew had to. I hung on for three more weeks and the beast, that ransack my mind of any thought, began breaking down anything I put in its way to stop its salvage influence from spreading even farther. Using mushin was out of the question for it will be the gateway to reality it has longed for.

I could not even look at Kirby without hating him instantly with the greatest of passion. The event that has frightened the twin demons and given my knaves a different view of me was horrid but the one after was terrifying. I will regret for the rest of my days alive or not.

I nearly killed Kirby with Galaxia when he was strolling down the stone corridors of the castle, all he said was the same baby like word 'poyo'. His blue eyes still gazed upon me like I have not changed or heard what I have done to my knaves and his friends. His smile widened as he came closer, arms spread for a warm hug that I wish I could accept. The reaction that he caused was something I had not been aware of until it already happened, I would have blamed the beast but then I would be blaming myself. I had stabbed him so close to his everywhere. Kirby's shrill scream. Panicked foot steps. Running to the shadows. Hiding among the darkness like the monster I have become. The red stains will forever be imprinted in my mind.

I left Galaxia and Kirby behind in the corridor and once they had seen the golden sword they knew who had done such a horrid deed. They knew that I am no longer safe to be around as I have harmed a child I would consider my own. I should be ashamed yet excitement filled my body and soul as the site of blood fueled the demon deep within.

The moon was peeking over the balcony like a curious child. Suddenly the urge to laugh bubbled in my throat, I let it loose and heard it rebound of the stone walls that surrounded me. Deep and sinister just like Nightmare, how I loathe that man. He took everything away from me, my emotions, my friends, GSA; the first place I could truly call home. Everything vanished like the hope I once held that has also been taken. The moon now shined part way into my dark room.

Then there came to be a knock at the door. Why would they knock if they are the ones who locked me in here? Nevertheless I got up and walked to the door and again the laugh returned to fill the air." Who is it?" My voice was calm and collected yet to them it sounds too sweet and mad to be my own." It's us, Sword and Blade, we came to visit" came a muffled voice, Sword,through the reinforced wooden door. When ever they came for a visit it's usually silent and it is always when the moon shines fully within the room. A time when I can be the most passive along with slightly unpredictable so daily monitoring is did to make I do not hurt myself.

" I do not need any observations for today, though I appreciate your effort and concern" I replied back bluntly as the moon slowly started to crawl up into the night sky as it's light glided across the floor." Sir Meta Knight..." I am pretty sure it was Blade who said that, his tine seemed disappointed or maybe two tones mixed together." Open the door" said Sword as his tone went from casual to serious." Can you not open it with your own two hands? It opens from both sides unless you are testing to see if there is a tiny amount of sanity still left within me" I responded though this time I knew I actually sounded like my old self." Fine" was all that came before the door creaked open and in came Sword and Blade. There was a deafening silence that blanketed the small area as I sat upon my usual chair while Blade and Sword watched me like owls with their vigilant eyes. Until a sigh, my sigh, broke it like a fragile mirror that housed evil counterparts.

"Am I insane? Have I finally lost it?" I said as I took off my mask, rubbing the bridge of where my nose would be." No you're not insane just very ill" spoke Blade as he was not surprised by my appearance neither Sword for I did look a lot like Kirby." Nor have you lost it if we can have a simple conversation with you plus there will be a cure we promised after all" added Sword as his eyes, even if I could barely see them, glint in reassurance along with Blade's. I suddenly felt intense pain strike the sides of my head causing me to grimace from its said intensity." Are you alright Sir? Why don't you lay down?" Asked Blade, his tone of voice sounded nonchalant or came automatically like he was waiting for it to happen, though he hid it well with a worried tone. I said nothing while I closed my eyes trying to beat back the headache that came immediately after, fueled by my lack of sleep and the trances or episodes that I have had." Yes I do believe some sleep would do me some good" I replied softly as my eyes opened, in the time of a regular blink. I stood from my seat and strolled over to my bed taking note that Sword and Blade's eyes followed me like I hawk, I have the feeling that they are willing for me to fall asleep." On second thought maybe I will go for a midnight stroll" I spoke this slightly louder than usual, letting them know that I have became suspicious of their actions. I suspicion grew as their shoulders fell, seemingly disappointed at what I said.

" Then we shall join" said Blade and Sword at the same time as I am already in front of my door, my gloved hand lingered on the knob." I highly doubt you can if the opposite of green can not be easily followed by its polar, I shall go alone" I responded, knowing that (on a whim) the riddle of sort will stall them long enough for me to disappear.

"Wait what do mean by-?" Before Sword could continue his brother at arms stopped him with a shake of his head pointing to the slightly ajar door.

Meta Knight is long gone before the knaves stepped out into the stone corridor. For the first time one of the knaves under the captain of the guard's wing understood what the knight meant, being in his shadow " It seems that he will be doing his midnight walk among the clouds because the opposite of green is red which its opposite is blue and since the ocean is orange the sky is the limit" spoke Blade as he was able to solve his Lord's riddle faster than his companion." Then where would he land when he tires?" Questioned Sword as they began to walk down the corridor that their Lord presumably traveled down." Well we know that he will search for answers on his own so he will land at Kabu Canyon but it is quite the polar opposite" replied Blade." Now your starting to sound like Sir Meta Knight, but, that would mean he is looking for questions" said Sword." And what better place for questions than solitude" responded Blade while they passed the cabinet minister' humble abode." To the orange side cliff then?" Inquired Sword as they now stood upon the grass of the courtyard. Amazing how such short talk can stretch out over time." Absolutely" replied Blade with a hidden smile.

I loved the feeling of the wind passing over my wings for I have not flown in years after the GSA was destroyed. Not even at my top speed I could not save them. I shook my head as the depressing thought made me low altitude before I had to flap my wings three times to return to the height of fifty feet. Soaring above the clouds after a moment of hesitation considering the chilling air and the lack of oxygen found plentiful on ground level. The clouds clung to the white claws of my wings like streamers as I came through the last layer of the white mist, the site before me could be compared to the sunset at orange ocean. The moon shined brightly and seemed so close that I could reach out and touch it while the stars hovered peacefully and twinkled.

My destination neared as the clouds thinned to show the land below, quite the ways off from Cappy Town and Kirby's small house. Speaking of which I briefly wondered about his well being as I landed upon the grassy cliff overlooking the vast amounts of orange water. The tides are high as they clash against the cliff face, spraying my face with a light drizzle since I had left my mask behind. Normally I would turn back and go get it but something told me that I am going to be fine without it, who will see my at the dead of night anyway? I could only think of Sword and Blade who I suspect have followed me but have yet to be seen and they have already seen my face. Then again they could raise Tiff and Bun from their sleep from how loud they make their armor clatter, both siblings seemed to be light sleepers excluding the noddy accident and similar cases.

Knowing Tiff she will insist on coming, if my knaves tell her what had transpired, and Bun for the either the excitement or staying up pass their bedtime. Another wave came rising from the watery depths below as the breeze picked up slightly. I shifted slightly to the right as I heard foot steps approaching from behind, no doubt that they belong to my knaves and the Elbrum siblings since there were more than two sets of them. I never seem to get a moment of peace anymore ever since Kirby came along, the mention of the young star warrior sent a prick of angry into my veins. How I hated that name and the prophecy that goes with it. Kirby of the Stars was the one foretold to defeat Nightmare, an adolescent callow child. One that did not know the meaning of his purpose, his life and what life was wasted for an infant that could not even hold a sword. The captain of the guards would have laughed at how foolish he had been to wait for the worthless pink puffball when he could have taken the star rod and finished Nightmare off himself. It wouldn't have been that hard considering that Kirby followed him, got trapped in a nightmare about food, shot him once and he was defeated in one go.

Really it was pathetic and unrealistic that Nightmare who killed everything and anything that came near him was defeated by a baby just barely one tenth of the knight's age. It was also sad in a way and tells you a lot about him and what goes through that sadistic mind of Nightmare to even create a demon beast with a soul. If the knight was in his place he would have destroyed the pink puff the second he sensed a soul and made a new more powerful demon beast in which he did once upon a time. The experience was not pleasant and left many scars that was hidden by the long piece of fabric called a cape.

"Sir Meta Knight please step away from the cliff, your going to hurt yourself" said Tiff which almost surprised the knight at how worried her eyes shimmered in the moon light peeking through the clouds above. "Yeah!" came Tuff's one worded agreement as Blade Knight, Sword Knight and Kirby advanced up the incline. Stepping closer to the cliff edge the masked knight could feel the rocks beneath his feet give way quite rapidly. Then like being dunked in a tank Sir Meta Knight was sent spiraling downward as the earth rumbled and broke before neither his knaves or Kirby could lung for him. His instincts kicked into over drive as he flailed his limbs about to try and align himself with the wind currents. Silvery-white eyes glittered with amusement as the tips of his wings grazed the waters surface before pulling upward shooting far beyond the cliff face and surely shocking the group below him at the display of orange water spraying up along side him as to accompany him in the sky.

The captain of the guards landed gracefully before his knaves and student who looked in wonder at his large wings." Like I said following me is impossible though I am sure you are aware that I am not going back to the castle just yet nor had you drawn to the right conclusion" said Sir Meta Knight already knowing that he did not mean for his riddle to influence everything he might do or think." Our fault on that part but still you need your rest and if you are going to consult Kabuu wait until tomorrow because going into a conversation with him will require all the brain power you can muster" reasoned Blade Knight as he cautiously laid a hand on his Lord's shoulder guard, knowing fully well that the giant stone tiki talked in more complex riddles with Sir Meta Knight whenever he came to visit or seek insight." Point taken" was all the masked knight could say along with a few other things but as the seconds ticked by he became more interested in the soft feel of his bed in the warm castle. The beast within him seemed oddly satisfied with his decision about resting.

Later that night while Sir Meta Knight slept his knaves wondered out into the stone corridor." You think he will catch on?" asked Blade Knight." No, Nightmare designed this whole thing for capture and return him once he hits rock bottom" replied Sword Knight with a slight hidden smirk." In turn PopStar will truly go out with a bang" said Blade Knight emphasizing his point by smashing his fist against his other open palm." Please none of that until this is all over, your voice is bad enough as is without that ridiculously strange accent" spoke Sword Knight before reentering the room and laying down on his bed." You would think he would be aware of sleeping in this world meant that he was awake in the other even if it is... complicated" said Blade Knight after a while of silence unable to fall asleep because he literally could not." The coma was unexpected along with the pink star warrior always worming his way into our plans, nevertheless he will be one with the void soon enough...when he does nothing will stand in way" replied Sword Knight.


	2. Knightmare in DreamLand

**A/N: Yeah I know the title may have been a little bit cliché (and possibly copyright or something upon lines) but believe it or not my friend did not like the turn out of this story so she is let me have it (RoseKnight of Darkness). Stating somewhere along the lines that she would stick to being a reviewer because she likes reading more than anything. Anyway, I changed and added a few things mostly based heavily upon the TV show and a little bit from the games in terms of King DeDeDe not being a total idiot. Plus, I kind of grown a liking to his video game counterpart, seeing that he was smart enough to break the star rod so nightmare won't be set free and helping Kirby out on numerous other occasions and or situations.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Kirby or any other character associated with the name or company. I only own the plot so no stealing of any kind. Pleas and Thank you very much.**

Knightmare in DreamLand

Chapter One

Where it all Started

We had our suspicions about Meta Knight but we have never questioned just how exactly he had known every ability that Kirby possess, or how he knew something that the great Kabuu who held all answers and knowledge did not. Even how he knew exactly where to look for Nightmare' fortress nor the fact we have bluntly ignored his uncanny resemblance to the demon beast creator. We stood by him with a shield of loyalty so strong we would die for, no cracks littered that shield. During the war, we have we seen our Lord, savior ,and friend be torn down not only physically but also mentally. He had told us what had happened to his other friends and comrades during that time when Sword became curious about Star Warriors, like: what are star warriors, where do they come from and what makes a star warrior? the last question made our Lord noticeably tense, Sword knew he hit a soft spot for it had not been even a week after his friends deaths.

But nevertheless he told us all of what he knew about the topic, adding a few happy moments that made him chuckle just thinking about it. But we could still hear the hurt in his voice like a broken soul." What makes a Star Warrior is not how strong you are nor how brave... every Star Warrior is different but at a certain time in the future you will know" came his answer to the last question confusing both of us. Why does he never give straight answers? Then again at that time we took his word for it, and for the years that followed. Now looking back through those years it seemed to be meaningless to him now, all of those memories wiped away thanks to that one particular day; we can still remember the red shy, an evil laughter, the smell of near death, the Halbred's crash and what our friend was turned into before and after he returned from an unknown quest. This may all seem confusing so let us start from the very beginning where it all started, not three days after the supposed defeat of Nightmare and not too far away from another new year.

Two Years and three days ago...

...

It was a wonderful day in Dreamland, the grassy hills gradually began grow back from the destruction they had bared witness to by an invasion of Destroyas. The air cleared up from the red, grey, and ash that fell and covered the sky as if it had never happened. The trees and animals slowly came back to full activity, with Wispy Woods being the first to fully recover. That tree was as tough as nails and probably as strong as the Kabuu stronghold in Kabuu canyon which was named after the giant stone TiKi. Castle DeDeDe rested on top of the highest hill, with it's ruler of DreamLand King DeDeDe, was still under construction.

Likewise, for the rest of Cappy Town that sat just below the castle on lower lands- which was inhabited by creatures called cappies, similar to mushrooms but with out their colored tops that made them distinct from one another. There was also another smaller hill farther away from Cappy Town to the east that had a dome brick shaped white house upon it with a nice oak tree shading part of the small one person home. This is where the Hero of DreamLand lived, his name was Kirby or what the cappies and Kabuu he himself called- Kirby of The Stars.

Blade and Sword Knight patrolled the stone halls of castle DeDeDe, during the day it was nice and bright but during the night it was dark, cold ,and sinister." Today is the day our Lord will be leaving, so how about we throw a goodbye party?" asked Sword Knight as he walked beside his friend and partner. His armor was mostly teal and in the similar form of his Lord's but his head wear was a helmet, designed with a smaller 'V' shaped opening with two small black strip openings below the former to circulate air also it was longer in the back with three black markings. He wore a brown tunic with a black belt with a gray circular buckle- which secured his golden sword to his side.

" Well, his not exactly saying good bye he is going on a quest so he will return, how about more of a safe journey party?" replied the smaller of the two knights, who is Blade Knight. The Knight was a short fellow who looked almost like a Cappy with no legs and short arms. The Knight was clad in emerald green armor with shoulder guards adorned with a yellow swirled design, his helmet was green also and had a pink face visor along with a plume of bright red hair sprouting from the back." Maybe the kids can help too since they were always there for him just like we are" said Sword Knight as he put his hands behind his head in a relaxed manner." Just Tiff ,Tuff ,and Kirby will be fine; I have a feeling he is not too attached to the others" responded Blade Knight in which Sword Knight nodded in agreement. Sir Meta Knight never really socialized with anyone other than them and those three kids, so a small party would probably work out better than a whole village fiasco.

" True, so how about on the beach? he likes the sunset there and it is a perfect day" said Sword Knight as he gestured to the window that they were passing, viewing the ocean of blue that moved like a blanket in the breeze." I think that could work, but knowing Lord Meta Knight he might become suspicious about our activities and would either follow us around or stare us down until we tell him and we both know we can't hold a staring contest with him" replied Blade Knight as he briefly imagined their Lord staring down upon them despite his size with unwavering calm yellow eyes." Yeah, but he would also be busy getting ready for his journey giving us a few hours until midnight to get everything ready" Sword Knight pointed out as the duo rounded the corner at the end of the stone corridor.

" Also true, so how about two hours from midnight we watch the sunset and have a small picnic, nothing too big or fancy" agreed the shorter of the two as they approached the door to the throne room. Normally King DeDeDe would be shouting at the top of his lungs to costumer service about how their demon beasts always fail to destroy Kirby before buying another said creatures of darkness. But today the throne room was vacant as the heavy set blue penguin was probably out on one of his many balconies soaking in vitamin D." Sounds good to me, so should we go get Tiff and the others and start the preparations?" Said Sword Knight as they rounded another corner, and began on their way to the cabinet minister' suite." Yes" came Blade Knight' short reply. Along the way to the suite the two friends and brothers at arms, greeted a group waddle dee and their leader captain waddle doo.

" Good day to you, Sword Knight and Blade Knight; have you seen Sir Meta Knight recently?" Asked captain waddle doo. He looked much like a waddle dee which were smaller creatures than Kirdy, are tan and orange; some of the Cappies called them cute. But instead of two pure black eyes, waddle doo has one large eye and three strands of hair on the top of his head. He wielded a sword along with the waddle dees standing around him holding spears, possibly patrolling the halls likewise to the two knaves. Sword and Blade Knight nodded to the captain before one of the two spoke.

" No, actually we haven't seen him since this morning, why do you ask?" Questioned Sword Knight as his head tilted slightly to the left to indicate his slight curiosity in the captain's question." His majesty request his presence, any other information you wish to have you got to ask your Lord himself or the King" replied waddle doo before turning to his fellow waddle dee as commanding them to follow him down the opposite side of the corridor. Sword and Blade Knight shrugged at what waddle doo had said either not caring or not knowing what to do about it." I'm sure he will find our Lord eventually" said Blade Knight as he and his friend continued on their way.

The two knaves had made it to their destination in no time after their encounter with captain waddle doo. There was a knock at the door as Tiff read one of her favorite books while sitting on the two seat white couch in the living room. Tiff was a different race than a Cappy but still looked similar, probably just a different species. She had yellow skin and hair which was done in a braid and secured with three red and purple beads. She wore a dress like shirt with the top half being green and the bottom pink, the two colors were separated by a zigzagging pattern. Her black eyes are wide since she is still quite young with her eyelashes falling underneath. Like many of the natives in DreamLand she has no legs, oval big feet in some cases, short arms, and nearly one to three feet tall.

Her orange feet dangled near the edge of the couch. A television sat in front of her and behind her sat a dinning room table along with chairs and a kitchen just beyond , to the left was the bathroom and to its left was the master bedroom. Traveling counterclockwise from the master bedroom lay windows framed with curtains that viewed the outside world. Accompanied with a glass balcony door that lead out onto the balcony, looking down you would see the garden and fountain.

Next to the glass products was two doors one was Bun's bedroom beside it was Tiff's bedroom." I wonder who that could be" said Lady Like, Tiff and Bun' mother. She was also Cappy-like with yellow almost gold skin with her 'hair' done up in three big curls with a tuff of golden hair laying on her forehead between her eyebrows. The Lady wore a hot pink dress with an orange scarf, her feet were hidden by the dress length. She carried a green and pink fan in her left hand that her daughter made for her on her birthday.

Lady Like came out of the kitchen and walked over to the door, when she opened the big wooden plank she was greeted by Sir Meta Knight' knaves." Oh, good morning Sword and Blade Knight; what brings you here? I thought you were training with Sir Meta Knight down in the courtyard" Asked Lady Like as Tiff had stopped reading and viewed the two knaves from the couch." Lord Meta Knight has not told you?" Said Blade Knight as they were gestured farther into the suite." Told us what?" Replied Tiff as she now stood beside her mother." He is leaving off world" said Sword Knight as the group of four sat down on the couch, though two chairs had to be borrowed from the dinning table.

Blade and Sword Knight sat in the two chairs ,parallel to the couch where Lady Like and Tiff sat, sitting right in front of the television." He's leaving DreamLand, Why?" Asked Tiff. She knew Sir Meta Knight did not really fancy DreamLand because of it's laziness but she also knew that he cared about everything it has to offer because it was the closest thing he had to an actual home." On a quest, he did not say where but we came to ask if you would like to help us throw a safe journey party" said Blade Knight." Just a small picnic at the beach with you Bun and Kirby, watch the sunset" added Sword Knight pointing to the window for the second time today that viewed the beach in the distance.

" I think that would be nice, I give you permission to help them Tiff along with your brother" said Lady Like as smiled at the two knaves then at her daughter." Well hello there, how are you two today?" Spoke Sir Elburn as he came out of the master bedroom straightening out his clothing. He was the same height as Lady Like, his wife, and had gray hair fashioned in that of a judge of some sort accompanied by a gray mustache. The Cappy look alike had green eyes that matched his daughter's own emerald ones. His skin was also a yellow golden color like his daughter and wife. He wore a brown cotton long sleeves formal jacket with a steam pressed white collared long sleeve shirt. No feet could be seen for he had none, only stubs similar to a person walking in a potato sack.

" Just fine Cabinet Minister" replied the two brothers at arms simultaneously." I heard you talking about a picnic, is that true?" Asked Sir Elburn as he stood next to where his wife was sitting." Yes, our Lord is going off world on a quest so we are throwing a party at the beach, but more of a picnic and watch the sunset" responded Blade Knight as he stood up from his chair along with the other knave." And we better get started now" said Sword Knight as the ideas of ideal food already began to full both his and his companion's mind." Well, if it is not too much of a bother I could whip up a lovely Charlotte Russe, so you need not worry about dessert" spoke Lady like as she to stood with a thoughtful and helpful look in her eyes.

" That would be great, I'm sure Sir Meta Knight will love it" said Blade Knight as a knowing smile crept across his face. Even though none could see it Sword Knight and the other occupants of the room could defiantly feel it. It was a little well-known fact that Sir Meta Knight had quite the sweet tooth, so this suggestion of the sweet tasting pudding was not a bad idea." I'll get Kirby and Bun, we will meet you at the beach, in about fifteen minutes "said Tiff a she paused briefly to look up at the two handed clock set above the television on the wall." Good, see you then" said the two knaves as they placed the chairs back into their proper location and bid the family farewell to prepare the picnic foods.

When they exited the suite the duo made their way back to their Lord' room to check up on him. They made two right turns and five left turns, went down various corridors that would make anyone else become lost in the castle 'maze like interior. Living in the castle for many years made the route to their destination a subconscious action. With brisk steps and matching foot falls the two knights almost seemed to be patrolling the corridors once again, even though it was only half true. Arriving at their desired place of interest within a few moments the knaves entered they're Lord' room with a quiet creak from the wooden door. The room was not much to look at but still held the feeling of coziness and the snugness of being homey. There was a bed pushed to the left side of the room, a medium sized window perpendicular to where the backboard of the bed would be, a deck and bookcase; which contained many papers and so many books that some where placed nearly stacked in between both of the wood products.

A single three foot long shelf loomed over the foot of the bed upon it sat a jar of colorful delicious candies within. Adjacent to the shelf was an hung arrangement of three weapons. They serve as reminders of the two knights' past bad decisions, thievery was one of them. They once asked their Lord why he kept them and his explanation was near identical to the former mentioned purpose with the feeling to constantly remind them of good decisions also.

" Strange" said Sword Knight was he realized that their Lord was not within his room." Indeed" spoke Blade Knight in agreement. Not a single object was moved out of place nor was there dust from the space being unoccupied for a long time. There was also the possibility that their Lord being somewhat of a neat freak cleaned the room and ,since he did not have a lot of personal possessions, left the room a few minutes before they had arrived. If anything the two knights thought for the briefest of moments that their Lord had already left for his quest, without saying a single word of farewell to anyone.

" He has to be somewhere else around the castle if he is not in here" reasoned Sword Knight as they went out of the room into the corridor." We already passed the balcony where he mainly stands upon the stone railings, so he could be outside practicing while we were still inside patrolling" said Blade Knight. They had indeed passed the mentioned place before they had arrived at they're previous destination." So to the gardens then" responded Sword Knight with a gesturing hand to the corridor that will lead down towards the green lake of grass laying within the castle's bailey.

When they reached the courtyard they found their Lord near the fountain. He looked like Kirby the Hero of DreamLand; only difference is the size, armor, mask, eyes, navy blue skin ,and violet feet." Lord Meta Knight we have been looking for you" said Blade Knight as their drew closer to the fountain. There was no response as the two knaves strolled even closer, now only a yard separated them from their Lord." Sir? Are you okay?" Asked Sword Knight when they did not receive a reply. The dark knight had his back turned to them, his head slightly bowed seemingly gazing at his reflection within the waters of the fountain.

" Do not tell anyone of this" said the knight finally as he turned to face his two knaves slowly. Sword Knight and Blade Knight nearly jumped out of their skins as a chill ran down their spines when their Lord' mask was fully visible. Blood red eyes bore into the visors of their owners' subordinates. The glare within them was so intense both knaves slightly cringed when they focused solely on their forms. As quickly as it happened it ended as Sir Meta Knight' eyes reverted back to their original yellow color. After reclaiming their bearings they gave their Lord a once over, noticing that the fountain standing behind their Lord had fine clean cuts carved almost unnoticeable into it.

When Sir Meta Knight took one step forward the fountain instantly collapsed in a pile of marble, as if the simple action was like an earthquake. After remembering a small detail about the fountain being a secret entrance to a large space below; both knaves gazed at their Lord, eyes filled with confusion." How are you going to get off world if you can't get to the Halberd?" Asked Blade Knight as the realization dawned on him." I will use the transporter hidden within DeDeDe' throne room" responded Sir Meta Knight as he walked passed the two. Both of Sir Meta Knight' knaves now knew the probable cause of their Lord' blood red eyes. The Halberd is now presently sealed underneath tons of rocks and there is no way of ever getting to it ever again.

Catching up with their Lord, and falling into step with him, they also noticed how unnatural tense the dark knight' muscles and stance were, in fact they could even say he was fuming. Sword and Blade Knight knew that Sir Meta Knight was fond of the warship but also that it was nothing he would get so worked up about. It did get destroyed once and even then he did not seem concerned with it's destruction nor it being restored back to fully operational a few months afterwards." By the way, his majesty ask your presence on the balcony" informed Blade Knight as they entered the stone corridors of the castle." Capitan waddle doo wanted us to pass the message" added Sword Knight as they rounded the corner of the corridor to the balcony where the king should still be." I see, he is worried about who will guard the castle while I am gone" said Sir Meta Knight as he spoke the last part of the sentence to himself.

Going down three corridors and passing by the cabinet minister' suite, the two knaves and knight came upon the balcony where King DeDeDe awaited. The king, the heavy set azure penguin in red and white royal robes, was lounging about on a lawn chair while his faithful servant and advisor, Escargoon the snail, cooled down his majesty with a large fan." You summoned?" said the dark knight as he waited patiently at the balcony's doorway." Yeah I did, so why are you leaving DreamLand? there is no one better to protect the castle because you very much know your two followers can't and that I would never let that pink puffball in MY castle" spoke King DeDeDe as he turned around to face his captain of the guards." Because it is a personal issue and I am confident that I have train Blade and Sword Knight well enough to keep you and the castle safe while I am absent" replied Sir Meta Knight coolly as his knaves seemed slightly hurt be the king' words." Whatever, anyway I need you to delay your departure to do something for me that I am sure that once it's all over you all thank me for it..." said King DeDeDe as he began to smile wickedly.

...

" He wants you to do what?!" said Tiff in utter shock as her parents and brother gasped. Sir Meta Knight nodded to farther confirm that what he said was in fact true." But you can't, what if something goes wrong?" said Lady Like, showing her concern for the knight by looking distressed in the matter. Even though everyone within the room already knew that things will go wrong regardless of it being a complete success or total failure." I can not go against orders, I have pledge my loyalty and I must uphold my words; I have survived worse" replied the dark knight as much as he hated to admit it himself it was indeed the undeniable truth." But what about what happened last time?" said Tuff as he could see the event replay in his head like it was just yesterday.

" Kirby was inexperienced then but now I am sure he can hold his own, no matter what may become of me" spoke Sir Meta Knight as Kirby 'poyo'ed with worry for his friend and mentor that he would have to fight for the second time." Even with the devil frog possessing his body his mind will still be there, his majesty did not account for that as he wanted Sir Meta Knight to battle Kirby without protecting or helping him at the same time; though his situation is bad King DeDeDe did actually come up with a good plan for once in his lifetime" said Sword Knight as he tried to make the family a little at ease with his words and last comment." Your right, King DeDeDe's plans always fail by a small mishap or something of the sort hopefully in a good way, but please be carefully" said Sir Elburn as he held his wife's hand who agreed with her husband' warning.

" I will do my best like I always have" responded the dark knight before leaving, along with Sword and Blade Knight, to prepare for what he must endure in the very near future. All thoughts of the planned surprise sunset picnic at orange ocean were swiped away by the tides of misfortune and the unknown aftermath.

...

A few hours, possibly three, had passed with the captain of the guards and his knaves patrolling the stone corridors of Castle DeDeDe. Sir Meta Knight kept more quiet than usual, trying to figure out how he will go about his situation; the pros and cons weighed his mind down heavily for he had always came to the neutral side of it all but now... He was no longer certain if he would be able to find such a thing since there was little to nothing he could do about it. Soon he had dismissed his knaves as the familiar corridor leading to the door of the torture room make into view at the end of the bend they had moments ago traveled through. The snail did not see his knaves quietly peel off their Lord's left and right flank, too busy being distracted by the approaching subject to their (his and King DeDeDe's) 'experiment' which the two knaves plainly said that it was more of torture.

" Glad you can make it on time Sir Meta Knight, please step this way" said Escargoon as he gestured for the captain of the guards to follow him into the torture room where the cells were located on the other sides of the walls." I bet you were wondering how we even got the devil frog again, actually it's quite simple" Escargoon paused as gazed at the surrounding area before commanding Sir Meta Knight to lay on the table in the center of the room. If not for the code of chivalry stating that a knight will not turn on thy king or high authority, the masked knight would have refused to be any part of the untested and unstable product the king had mentioned before. " I can't help but admit how ironic it is that the last time we have been down here it was I in your position as you play the tormentor, my how the tables have turned" the snail paused to smirk before continuing on with his speech.

" Anyway, after that time we had the demon Kirby fiasco and having to do repairs again on the castle, we later found out that the frog laid an egg in a pond. So I injected it with concentrated leftover vials of the grand esker demon beast formula though yes I could have brought King Demon DeDeDe back; your smart so you fill in the holes from there" explained the light lavender snail with a slight sneer as he strapped the knight down, who in turn did not show much resistance." Your taking this surprisingly lightly considering that you are going to kill Kirby in a few minutes" said King DeDeDe as he walked up beside Escargoon from the shadows of the room trying to intimidate the dark knight, though he failed horribly." That's because I know it will not work like you wish" replied Sir Meta Knight as his eyes flashed a brief pink then green.

Seeing his eyes change colors and knowing what they possibly mean, King DeDeDe became furious." Okay Mister funny wise guy let's see what you have to say after your possessed by a demon frog" said the King with a sinister tone of voice as Escargoon held out a medium sized dish with a glass dome over it that held the devil frog. King DeDeDe removed the dome and the frog immediately jumped onto Sir Meta Knight mask just below the 'V' shaped opening of his mask. Just like what happened to Kirby, the demon frog fazed through the silver metal and into the dark knight' body while his golden-yellow eyes dimmed signifying that his eyes had closed. It only took five seconds for Sir Meta Knight' eyes to snap open again but this time instead of the bright primary color they have always been become flooded with ominous pools of blood.

" Sire are you sure this was a good idea?" said Escargoon as he began to back away from the table when the captain of the guards snapped his bound hands with a rough pull of his arms. Fear was clear in his voice while King DeDeDe also followed Escargoon' actions when Sir Meta Knight began to chuckle, it was a lot deeper that it would normally be and rebounded off the walls in a fading echo. If they were outside both could easily imagine lighting striking the ground in the distance. " You made a terrible mistake..." spoke Sir Meta Knight, his voice low and calm despite his demonic air (though also pained as his inner will fought against the demon frog, slowly losing) as he withdrew Galaxia from her sheath while walking toward the king and his advisor in a way a broken puppet would move. The King Hid behind Escargoon who then hid behind the king, pressing themselves into the far corner of the torture room.

This would probably the only time where a waddle dee would come in handy or that King DeDeDe would ( and actually did) grow a backbone and stand tall while taking a deep breath. " Sir Meta Knight I order you to lay down your weapon" commanded King DeDeDe as he had his hammer at ready just incase Sir Meta Knight rejected. The dark knight paused in his steps as if he were instantly frozen solid before grunting and withdrawing his sword away from his superiors in terms of status: thankfully blowing out a mental sigh of relief.

" You're in luck your majesty, if it were not for the parasite's will stopping my actions I would have killed you" said Sir Meta Knight as King DeDeDe was the second to breath a silent sigh of relief while Escargoon looked like he was on the verge of passing out but quickly recovered, now smiling at their success. " Now that you are really on our side I want you to find Kirby and kill him" King DeDeDe paused as another evil idea came to his mind." But don't kill him immediately, I want you to lure him into the center of attention and humiliate him in the worst possible way; prove to everyone that my power should be respected along with being feared by all" spoke King DeDeDe as he smiled like he had control over Hades.

There was a slight hesitation in Sir Meta Knight's eyes before he bowed his head before speaking." As you wish your majesty" spoke the dark knight as he began to meet a slight sting of resistance from his original. King DeDeDe' and Escargoon' smiles broadened at Sir Meta Knight's words, for once this plan might actually work. Unknown to them that they have been watched from the shadows above.

...

" This is far greater than what we have anticipated" spoke Sword Knight as he saw the King and his advisor smile while their Lord agreed with King DeDeDe terms." We have to warn them" said Blade Knight as he watched the scene below along with his brother at arms." I am sorry but you can not do that" spoke a sudden voice that came from behind the two knaves. Before they could react a blunt end of a sword met the sides of their heads making them fall and collapse on the ground below." It seems that you had spies within your shadow your highness" explained Sir Meta Knight as King DeDeDe stood shocked upon two bodies falling in front of him out of seemingly nowhere.

" We can't have them messing everything up" spoke Escargoon as he ordered for waddle dees to lock up the two spies. The two knaves fought back, with punches and kicks, but soon became overwhelmed by the waddle dees numbers." Snap out of it Sir" said Sword Knight as his hands were bound behind his back." Your stronger than some mere frog and liquid" spoke Blade Knight as he and his companion struggled in their bindings." Well you were wrong, I am not your Lord nor friend, I never was and never will be. To think you actually believed my every word in the past; pathetic" responded Sir Meta Knight with so much hate and coldness it left everyone within the area speechless. The knaves knew that this thing standing over them was not their Lord because he never spoke in such a tone even with Nightmare involved his voice never seemed to go above outright hostile, frigid ,and piercing, it was in fact physically impossible for the soft spoken knight. " Now if I may excuse myself, I have a star warrior to kill "spoke the dark knight before tuning on his heels and exiting the torture room through the shadows, adding more of the heavier disbelieving weight upon the two knaves.

" And I thought I was cold and heartless" said King DeDeDe though instead of shock in his voice it sounded quite jubilant." No more need for that fool Nightmare when we got a better one under our thumb" spoke Escargoon as the two spies were hulled away to be put in cells." Escargoon, grab some popcorn and drive me to Cappy Town, the show is about to begin" said King DeDeDe as he laughed alongside his snail advisor while exiting the room. Leaving Sword Knight and Blade Knight to be carted away to the cells just beyond the torture room, and they thought a few hours back that this perfect day was going to be like a wonderful dream despite the departure of their friend, mentor, savior and Lord for his unknown quest until it threw them into a downward spiral of the unforgiving nightmares.


	3. Checkmate

**A/N: I kind of got tired in the middle and did not realize what I was writing because I was thinking it was making sense until I put the train sort of back on track at the end making it okay I guess.**

**DISCLAIMER: All Kirby characters belong to their respectful owner/owners. I do not own anything other than the plot. So no stealing.**

Chapter One

It is time for DreamLand- no, the whole multiverse, to know its place in a new order. My new order. Soon light and dark, day and night, good and evil shall no longer exist. I have underestimated my opponent but this time I will not make that same mistake again, I will succeed in conquering everything. There will be no Kirby of the Stars to stand in my way, all I have to do is select my champions. My puppets. My pawns. To do the dirty work for me, the most powerful warriors in the darkest of universes. But first I must obtain a new body. A new host. A being who shares my desires- no, my WILL to conquer everything, born in darkness with a soul as black as my own. And I know where and who the being is. I Nightmare shall rewrite the balance of destiny and fate, everything will be at the palm of my hands. Let this be the final game. Checkmate.

...

Time and time again I hear the celebration of Nightmare defeat ring out among the brown soil streets even as it has been two months since then. I often wondered if it was actually that easy, it seemed so farfetched that over the course of war and loss of good friends. Best friends. That Nightmare, the embodiment of everything sinister, could be defeated by callow kid. Yes I would admit that it is apart of the prophecy yet- it took place two hundred years too early than the appointed time. Could this small fact be the reason why I fear that this war. This prophecy. This game . Is all but an illusion for something much more planned? Is it possible by the miscalculation of years that the prophecy could have been delayed or not at all carried out? Kabuu of this planet had said that a demon beast created by Nightmare rebelled, but the question is when did it rebel? Before or after the war? Either way Kirby is the one who defeated Nightmare so should that not be enough to fulfill the prophecy? As long as Nightmare is defeated? Or is it this feeling I have that this has only been the beginning. Part one of the many that may come...Kirby of the Stars, what does it truly mean?

...

I have noticed Sir Meta Knight seemed a little down lately ever since Nightmare was defeated. Its not like I am saying he feels down about Nightmare death but something else that involves Nightmare. Maybe its his friends he lost during the war? Lady Garlude. Sir Jerca. I wanted to cheer him up somehow so I decided to invite him to the town square to celebrate, even if it happened two months ago. But he did not say yes or no so I don't know if he will come or not. I may not be the most comparable with him like Kirby is but he has been there for me since I was a baby protecting the castle from the demon beasts that got too out of hand for King DeDeDe to handle, so this is more of trying to be more than someone to protect. To be his friend. His family. Or at least try to be.

Even Sword and Blade Knight showed up to the celebration from their training in Whispy Woods so that should mean that Sir Meta Knight is somewhere near by. I hope. Then a sudden thought occurred to me which happened while I talked to the children about Nightmare defeat. Was it really that easy? It seems as if it were a dream, minus the fact that the final battle took place in Kirby mind-. The realization hit me in the head like a ton of bricks, I felt a little dizzy as spikehead asked if I was okay. Nightmare was able to force Kirby into sleep. Nightmare manipulated his dream into a bad dream. If that is true could he have projected his death? It would make more sense. Nightmare, the embodiment of everything of evil thoughts. Smart thoughts. Could easily have been manipulating Kirby' dream, but why would he give Kirby a dream like that? A dream that kills Nightmare is hardly a bad dream at all, unless, it was someone else' dream. But who?

...

Meta Knight walked through the soil streets of Cappy Town to meet Tiff at the town square. Not that he did not want to see her, it's just that he had more important things to do than celebrate and relax. But Tiff had insisted he come as a way to cheer him up which he highly doubt would work, he has not really been the happiest person since the war and what it took away from him. In fact if it were anyone else other than Tiff Bun Kirby or even his knaves he would bluntly reject their offer. Being sociable is one trait he will not gain back because it causes too many memories to resurface and it often left the knight depressed about not being able to do something about it back then and now.

Shaking his head the masked knight jumped up into the tree that sat in the center of Cappy Town which in turn is the town square. He did not like to draw attention to himself because it is rare for him to go this far into the town without much reason to, after all he did not like how laid back the cappies are nor the way they go about the day like nothing had happened that led up to that day two months ago. No honoring the fallen warriors or funerals, grief, sorrow, tears, no nothing. They must have thought that one or so people would do all of that for them and apparently in this case it was Sir Meta Knight, Kirby, Sword Knight and Blade Knight. Even though Kirby is likely not have experienced the pain of loss he understands by being a star warrior there were millions of others that gave their lives so that the prophecy had a chance to blossom and take effect.

If only everyone here could realize that but then it would not be normal for such a jubilant place to be so miserable over the fallen when it is time to move on. Now if he could only believe in his own thoughts and move on, but its more difficult for him when he feels like if he let them go he will forget about them just like the cappies had done.

" Sir Meta Knight? Is that you?" Questioned Tiff as she leaned her back against the tree only to look up and see a dark round figure standing three branches above her. Without a reply the knight leaped down from the branch with a barely audible thump in front of the young yellow-skinned girl." I am so glad you came but mind me asking, what really made you come?" Said Tiff as she seemed slightly surprised at the knight' sudden appearance in front of her, you would think she would have gotten used to his actions by now but then again this is Sir Meta Knight we are talking about." Clear my mind of some thoughts" responded Sir Meta Knight softly as he did not like to speak louder than he had to unlike a yellow bird and young boy he knew." Want to talk about it? Its the best way to get rid of them" spoke Tiff as she began to walk side by side with the captain of the guards.

" No, but thank you" replied Sir Meta Knight as his eyes shined a light green while gazing about the happy go lucky cappies. He actually envied their lifestyle, always have to be so happy without a care in the world, the same as Kirby." Come on Sir Meta Knight, I am trying to be your friend for once" Tiff slightly whined which annoyed the knight to a small degree." I was under the impression that I have no friends, and what makes you think that we might be?" Said the knight rather blunt causing Tiff to wince as he gave her a pointed look, eyes reverting back to normal.

" Because... Never mind..." Spoke Tiff quietly as she backed away from the knight then she turned on her heel and walked away. Sir Meta Knight, realizing that what he said hurt Tiff feelings, wanted to apologize but he was stopped by a abrupt sharp pain on the right side of his head. It came so sudden that he stumbled backwards, supporting his weight against the tree with his gloved hand. With a loud grunt Sir Meta Knight pushed himself off the tree, thankfully the cappies moved to another part of town after Tiff began to talk with him. Too bad his world suddenly became black before he even took a step forward.

...

What am I doing? if I want to be Sir Meta Knight' friend for once in my life I have to try harder than that. I turned on my heels just in time to see a glimpse of Sir Meta Knight through the crowd. It did not seem too good as he supported his weight on the tree while holding his head like he had just got hit in the head with one of Whispy's diamond hard apples. I picked up my pace after seeing that and soon I stood in front of him again right before I see him fall to the ground I caught him before he hit the soil. Man, he was heavy with all that armor on nevertheless I had help from Sword and Blade because they too saw their Lord and friend's fall.

...

" I'll go get the doctor " spoke Tiff as she watched the duo put their Lord on his bed before running off." I did think that will be necessary Tiff" said Sword Knight, stopping the yellow girl from leaving out the doorway her face showed confusion as she turned back around to face the two knaves." He was probably just exhausted, he had been up for a straight week without a wink of sleep. We tried to get him to lay down but you know how stubborn he can be at times so we thought that sooner or later he would drop like rock" explained Blade Knight as he watched his Lord slowly breathe from the corner of his eye." Of course we did try to lure him into going to sleep by laying in the grass yesterday when it was just the right temperature after we finished training for the day, albeit we were pushed to our limits, but he just got up and left after about five minutes, walked inside without a single word" added Sword Knight while Meta Knight shifted more on his side with a small grunt before sickly golden-yellow pupil-less eyes revealed themselves.

Sir Meta Knight sat up slowly while rubbing the side of his head that the mask did not fully cover." What happened?" asked Meta Knight, it was a simple question for it was like any question one would ask when they fall unconscious and wake up in a difference place; even for the enigmatic knight at times." Your exhaustion finally caught up to you,... if it wasn't for Miss Tiff you would have... undeniable fell heavily on the soil of center square in... Cappy Town" explained Blade Knight. The captain of the guards seemed to stare at his knaves for a few moments before slowing blinking like the information had been lost to him at the middle of Blade's sentence. His train of thought and attention span had been lacking lately and he had blamed it on his lack of sleep. That was until the pain on the inside of his head reminded Meta Knight of why he had lost consciousness in the first place. The enigmatic knight rubbed his head absently for the second time, eyes flashing between red and green in annoyance and why the quick return of the headache.

Meta Knight waved his hand dismissively as his knaves and Tiff crowded him making the knight feel slightly claustrophobic in his own room. Meta Knight was even tempted to take off his mask as it too begun to feel suffocating regardless of Tiff seeing his face let alone his knaves. But like always he quickly regained his composure so not to have others constantly worry about his state of health." The least I could do is get an icepack for your headache and maybe some tea" the last part of the yellow girl's sentence was more of a question to which the black knight simply nodded. With that Tiff left to room to carry out her self-proclaimed duty while the two knaves looked at their Lord with skepticism obviously not believing a single word he had said." Lying to Miss Tiff may work on her but we have been with you far to long to brush this matter off" said Sword Knight as his brother at arms nodded in agreement. The captain of the guard showed two emotions at his knave's words one being disappointment and the other being a scolding glare of parent to child." I have not told a lie in my life even if I did there is no reason to lie in the first place nor does it may seem like one" replied Meta Knight curtly as he resisted the urge to wince from simply talking at his normal volume. This time it was Blade Knight who spoke " well verbally no, but physically yes".

A few minutes passed before Tiff reentered the room with a icepack sitting upon a wooden tray with four steaming cups of sweet-smelling tea. Now was the perfect time to apologize for early as the black knight took a cup of tea, that he noted was peach from the tan-red color and scent, and the greatly needed icepack." I apologize from earlier today Miss Tiff" said Meta Knight as he placed the icepack on the side of his head where the most pain came from. All the knight needed now was a thermometer in the mouth and he would look like any being with the common cold. This thought ran through the knaves minds briefly before deciding to act on it after they had finished their tea plus it did seem to leave their Lord more passive after a good warm cup of his favorite tea.

Tiff accepted the knight's apology opening then throughout the banter the yellow girl tried numerous times to (secretly) persuade Meta Knight to relax, and ultimately fall asleep, but the war torn knight did not seem to have the meaning of the word in his dictionary each time the young girl brought up something relevant to the topic. Then Sword Knight outright blurted (softly) to Tiff " leave him be Tiff he will fall asleep eventually" sipping his tea after he had finished his sentence. The cabinet minister's daughter slightly puffed out her cheeks before dropping the topic with a defeated sigh." Why did he have to choose now to be the most stubborn?" questioned Tiff to herself as she sipped her tea slower than she had previously." Because I am fine-" spoke Meta Knight as if reading Tiff's mind, but before he could say more the sentence was cut like a wrecking ball to a tall pine tree as his eyes veered right. Then left followed by an intense stare at his closed door.

" What's-?" Sword's sentence was the second one to be cut short as his Lord's eyes turned sharply on him plainly saying: be quite. That effectively shut down any further questioning from the occupants of the room about the knight's rapidly changing behavior. Tiff, Sword, and Blade soon shifted their attention to the door Sir Meta Knight glared at with so much vigor it seemed as if he were listing for an army that would break down his door at any given moment. Then like everything that would happen with the sudden paranoid knight exactly nothing happened. That greatly confused the knaves and young girl who all had the brief thought of getting Sir Meta Knight tested for any mental disorders." Um... Sir Meta Knight? I don't think there is nothing-" and so Blade was the third to be cut off but instead of by another being it was by an explosion. Not any explosion than would go boom within a set amount of second but a particular explosion of someone's maniacal laughter, surprisingly coming from the masked knight. Today went from completely fine for the most part to utter confusion at the knight's off worldly behavior.

Something told Tiff than something was seriously wrong with the knight other than his strange behavior and she did not like it one bit. Watching the knight have a laughing fit also greatly unnerved her, she had never suspected the knight to show such abrupt changes in behavior so quickly it would make King DeDeDe's change of behavior when PopStar was about to be destroyed by a meteor look like a comedy act." I think he has finally gone delusional" said Blade Knight being the first to recover." Well he is dead tired so that could also be the cause" commented Sword Knight as Tiff heard the laughter die down to a low chuckle like the knight had found something incredibly funny not so incredible anymore.

"My apologies... I had lost myself for a moment in thought" there was a pause in Sir Meta Knight's words as if considering something his gaze no longer held the intensity from before, in fact, it looked like it had been replaced by a more tired and drained look." I would now admit that I am in need of sleep" said Sir Meta Knight as he did not try to hide his yawn." But what about- what just- please explain what just happened a few seconds ago" spoke Tiff as she tried to piece together a reasonable sentence though it was clear that her mind still needed a few minutes to fully comprehend the past event." Like what?" the tone the masked knight used when saying those two words made it semi-clear that he did not remember acting out of bounds. Tiff briefly wondered if one of Whispy's apples really did fall on his head and caused amnesia to strike at random moments and mood swings.

Blade Knight cautiously reached out a hand for his Lord's teacup, knowing fully well that taking his Lord's tea at that moment could cost him his fingers. The captain of the guards let his knave slip the teacup out of his grip with no protest seemingly not even noticing as he yawned while standing up. He wobbled slightly on his feet, something that also seemed foreign to the eye of the always steady-footed knight, before flopping without a care in the world on his bed with a sigh. The icepack had slipped off his head a while ago when he bust into laughter, melted to a slush that informed Tiff that Sir Meta Knight could also have a fever." For now I will say this; what you have witnessed was what star warriors go through when they deprive themselves of sleep for long periods of time, that much I am sure you are aware of. I had no hand in my behavior as of then because it was an automatic response to tire the mind with constant shifts of emotions and senses" explained Sir Meta Knight soberly before waving his hand dismissively, signaling the other occupants of his room to leave him be and let him have a well deserved rest.

" Well if that headache is still there we can't just leave you to suffer through it" said Tiff as she picked up the icepack to be refilled with ice. Leaving the two knaves to deal with their Lord who softly mumbled to himself about Kabuu, Kirby and Nightmare. Both knaves were unsure what to do at that point because their Lord basically turned into a jack-in-the-box with more surprises than popping out at the end of a jingle." I guess I will take the tray and cups back to the kitchen" said Sword Knight as he gave his brother at arms a reassuring look for being the only person who would be left with their Lord. Like a person with a stick poking the snort of a bear during hibernation season, Blade Knight sat next to his Lord who's body only took up half the said object.

The green clad knave then noticed Sir Meta Knight was dead to the world the moment his whole form relaxed against the mattress, having fallen asleep with his mask on. The only occasion Blade could remember him sleeping with the piece of metal on his face was during the noddy invasion other than that the knight always took off his mask when no one was around. Blade knew this because he had accidently walked in on his Lord during his napping hours to see the mask laying beside him on his bed with his Lord's back turned towards the wall. It was a mystery how he was never caught in entering knowing that his Lord had the hearing of a bat nor the confrontation that would have followed, though he did not see his face only the mask so he had guessed that it was by this that Sir Meta Knight let it slide knowingly or unknowingly to him.

Shaking his head he tasked himself with removing his Lord's mask making sure to be as silent as possible considering this was his first time doing so. Blade briefly wondered how Sir Meta Knight could even put his mask on even though his arms were longer than Kirby's they could not fully reach completely behind his head where the mechanism laid. Like an expert thief to a child's jigsaw puzzle Blade caught the leather brown strap of the mask before it could touch Sir Meta Knight's skin that would have alerted him of someone trying to remove the metal on his face. It also proved more difficult as he laid face down on his mattress so Blade had to think of another way to remove the mask, the answer came by a small white feather jutting out of the mattress. Sure he could be taking a big risk of awakening the knight but if he did it light enough it could get him to flip over.

Swiftly plucking the feather from its cotton bounds Blade made the feather ghost across the side of his Lord's face who swatted the feather away almost opening his eyes as the thin slits of the luminous yellow tinted eyes twitched slightly with irritation. Then like Bled had hoped for the knight rolled over a motion that seemed abrupt due to his body shape. The knave made sure to turn his head the other direction as he grabbed the mask and set it on his Lord's recliner the closest object to his bed. Sighing with relief before he saw the door give a slight creek as Tiff returned with an icepack on the other side of the door.

Not thinking twice Blade basically flew towards the door and kept it closed with his weight, no way on PopStar will he have Tiff walking in and see his Lord's face which to be fair was little bit unfair considering that he was keeping the young girl from entering the room because of his actions and help his Lord. Though at the same time it was keeping him from gazing over his shoulder that would make his protected eyes land on his Lord's unmasked face. "Just leave it at the door" said Blade Knight as he heard Tiff's yelp of surprise from the knave blocking the door and protest at not being let in." Don't ask questions unless you want to see the true fury of a sleep deprived knight" spoke Blade again before Tiff could say anything more, his own voice was barely below a whisper before adding " I had to remove Sir Meta Knight's armor, if you caught my drift". Tiff was quite for a moment as she put two and two together " Oh! of course I'll just go see how Kirby is fairing then since he might be used as a soccer ball by Tuff and the others by now". Tiff set the icepack on the ground in front of the door as Blade had instructed, briefly wondering how Blade managed to do such a fleet; saying hello and farewell to Sword Knight as he approached.

Opening the door Blade met Sword holding the discarded icepack in his hands while entering the room. True to his words Blade Knight had managed to take off all of their Lord's armor, excluding Galaxia less he wanted to get a painful shock and his cape because something told him not to remove that article of clothing. Placing the icepack was not really difficult as Sir Meta Knight shifted to his other side facing the wall, but the captain of the guard's face could still be seen." So how did you do it?" questioned Sword as he avoided looking at his Lord for honor, loyalty and privacy sake; though it was clear to anyone in DreamLand that they both wanted to see what their Lord looked like without the mask." A feather" simply replied Blade as he held out said white feather before letting it flutter to the floor. "Seriously? I thought that it would take more than that" said Sword as he and his brother at arms sat down at their small table." Me too" agreed Blade as he whipped out a deck of playing cards seemingly out of nowhere which actually came from the inside of his shoulder guard hence why it seemed to appear out of thin air do to its small size.

For about two hours the two knaves played a variety of card games neither winning or losing while their Lord slept, the scene was compared to any normal day minus the unsettling behavior of their Lord a few hours prior. Another hour passed before a groan could be heard behind them along with shifting covers the knight had wrapped himself in during his sleep which (the sleep) seemed too short to the both of them. Another groan break the rather silent air, it was then did they realize that he could be experiencing another nightmare. After all Sir Meta Knight was not one to actually dream of the good times with his comrades because that made him feel worse and painfully reminded him of their deaths. The visible strain on his face hidden away as he began turned this way and that like he was fighting an invisible demon beast.

Sir Meta Knight grunted as if whatever he was fighting was finally slain but then suddenly bolting upright yelling "JECRA!" as if in shock at the realization that his friend had been taken from him. His eyes were clouded and looked on in confusion as he felt a draft from the slightly open window hit his face the breeze was warm like always. He rubbed his eyes slowly with one paw a motion similar to Kirby when he woke up or was able to fall asleep. Apparently recovering from his outburst and nightmare Sir Meta Knight flopped back onto his bed; without a single word. Blade and Sword shared a blink at each other then their Lord who seemed to be more concerned with sleeping more than his actions." Shouldn't we-" Sword was cut off by Blade who shook his head." Leave him be, maybe after this he won't be so surreal" said Blade as he encouraged his companion to continue playing their game by placing a card face down on the small table.

One thing they knew about this whole thing was perfectly clear: Sir Meta Knight is the weirdest at his most sleepiest.


	4. Emotionally Detached

**A/N: Just a little something that popped in my head when I was having a bad day and had a lot of random questions, thoughts and memories bubbling in my brain that left my emotionless for a few hours.**

Emotionally Detached

I have lived for a long time and seen many things. War, happiness, sorrow, grief and death. I stood froze like a statue staring into the mirror in my room. The soft tapping of water hitting stone informed me that it is presently raining outside. But I did not care as I stood in the cold, dark, empty space, safe for the mirror and myself. For so long I had hidden my face, and as a warrior of the stars the silver sleek metal mask severed the purpose to protect.

Many of the Star Warriors had wore a mask as either a symbol or a sense of loyalty to the GSA. But I never once had thought of it in that way during and after the years of war. After Nightmare' defeat there was no more reason to wear the mask. I had a feeling that I wore my mask for a complete opposite reason, and it is because of that very uncertain reason that I stand here staring at my reflection. I remember one of my comrades joking about my perfect representation of Nightmare in terms of stance, look, and emotions.

But it was and still is the same I always am without the means of acting. Though I had brushed off the similarity with a light chuckle in the past it now comes back to haunt me.

Everything in between me and the demon beast creator was very alike and it scared me. Just like how every living thing truly fears death ,yes I am scared that what I have come to in conclusion is actually truth.

Same stance, same voice in terms of diction, same eyes, same color scheme, same few if not many actions. It was too much similarity in between us to be a mere coincidence. Nightmare makes his demon to hold only one aspect of him not several. And the more I think about it I realized that I had only known the endless dark void above as home, for I spent most of my life with the stars, where Nightmare also lays.

I nearly broke the glass product in irritation and in shock. In irritation for my conclusion being true. In shock for I did not want to see it as it is, though I had nevertheless seen the truth in those words. There is just no way possible that I, a star warrior, could be more than just a warrior of the stars. That would mean that the prophecy was false or yet to actually happen- what my role truly is in the prophecy.

Kabu had stated that in the prophecy written by the ancient: A creation of Nightmare shall rebel and be his downfall... But this came from the Kabu on this planet, there is another Kabu said to be the most wise over hundreds more. I had the honor and privilege to stumble upon it during my many travels throughout the galaxy. The stone statue, if I remember correctly, was even bigger than Nightmare, suggesting that it had been within existence before dreams were created. I had the simple question of when will Nightmare' reign come to an end? The response I received was more elaborate than I had suspected.

And as I think back to that day I closed my eyes in an attempt to see those words float endlessly within my mind.

" A creation of dreams and a creation of Nightmare shall bless and curse the universe. One shall be forever sealed the other shall be forever reborn. As the balance steadfast so shall light and dark. As the balance is overweight so shall dark and light. When the time comes of imbalance a equalize is born. Both for light and for dark".

"The dark one shall rebel and banish the nightmare. The light one shall heal and revive the dreams. With the weapon of light and the weapon of fire they are forever intertwined and both put to rest their souls... But this has yet to be realized. When time of great harmony is present so shall destruction soon follow. Light and Dark shall become one and the same to protect ,to defend, to save. When this time shall come with dark and light Kirby of the Stars shall be born".

Those were the words of the legendary Kabu. Two beings and two creations, two evil and two good. The weapon of light; the Star Rod, the weapon of fire; Galaxia. Kirby is a star warrior and a demon, of light and dark. So the prophecy has been fulfilled, but I feel as if there is something missing. Kirby arrived two hundred years too early and that threw off the time the prophecy would be fulfilled. Then what the Kabu spoke about it not being realized yet, does that mean it has yet to occur or have we fulfilled the prophecy too early and has changed the destined fate of the outcome?

Many more questions bounced around my mind in a jumbled mess, I have to make sure it is absolute. I gazed at the mirror over my shoulder as I turned to leave, that will have to wait for another time.

I called for my two knaves once I reached the fountain in the castle courtyard, ignoring the light drizzle of rain- it should not be too much of an issue now. They appeared side by side behind me like ghosts, I need not turn around for them to sense something was making me uneasy." May we ask what is bothering you?" Questioned Sword Knight while Blade Knight stepped closer from the sound of shifting armor." The part of the prophecy seems to be shaded by a deeper meaning, something that I have missed that could have possibly done more harm than good " I replied while tilting my head upward to look at the grey sky, it reminds me of a planet long ago that always rained no matter the conditions." What do you mean?" said both knaves with shock evident in their voices." Kirby-" my train of thought stopped for a moment to rephrase." I am not certain that Kirby has fulfilled his role..." I trailed off as lighting streaked through the sky, illuminating the area for a brief moment." So the prophecy and Kirby, they are false?" Asked Blade Knight as his seemed somewhat angered by the idea." Not false, they are yet to occur... Follow me" I responded before heading for the drawbridge, leaving any farther conversation at the fountain.

" Sir can you please slow down? Your sma- I mean, your more agile than us" requested Sword Knight, his brother at arms also agreeing with his words." You are welcome to rest, I am not stopping" I replied dryly, which was unlike my usually calm demeanor.

" This is unlike him" said Blade Knight as he struggled to keep up with their Lord." Maybe it's just the rain, you know it reminds me of that planet that always rained, you know when Sir Meta Knight nearly-" said Sword Knight as he restrained from using his weapon to cut down the annoying vegetation in his way else he wanted to deal with an angry Whispy. " Don't remind me, I still have bad dreams about it" interrupted Blade Knight as both knaves caught up with their Lord at Kabu. They said nothing for the longest time as Sir Meta Knight pondered over his question. " Has the prophecy been fulfilled?" Came Sir Meta Knight' voice as he spoke with the great stone statue. There was another long silence that gripped the surrounding area as all three beings waited for the answer. " It has not yet been realized" spoke the great stone statue, confirming Sir Meta Knight' thoughts." And Kirby?" Inquired Sword Knight. The response was instantaneous." He is the light warrior in the prophecy" spoke Kabu as his shrine went ablaze with flames upon response as if offended by the knave's question that had an obvious." What of the dark warrior? " questioned Blade Knight as he stepped forward along with Sword Knight. It was made clear that their Lord would not have kept the extended prophecy a secret for long, it was just not in his character. Another long silence soon ensured as Kabu seemed to be considering something." The dark warrior will stand up against the storm. The warrior will be your greatest ally. But, is forever engulfed in darkness. It is up to the warrior to decide when to be revealed "spoke Kabu as his faded like an echo yet boomed like thunder. " I see, thank you Kabu" said Meta Knight before turning on his heels and leaving the giant stone statue.

When the knight was on the outskirts of Kabu Canyon he stopped in his tracks and looked up. His knaves stopped a yard or so from behind him, observing for anything out of the ordinary with their Lord. For the same reason as a few days ago the rain seemed to distract him from his current actions and thoughts. A sigh came from his mouth through his visor in a puff of cold white- maybe it does have an unholy affect on ones mind. Meta Knight was also tempted to remove his mask when a sudden strange and very odd sensation came over him. Then in a random act, at least to Sword and Blade Knight's point of view, the navy knight bolted towards the castle as if sensing some kind of danger." Lord Meta Knight" called the two brothers at arms while running after Sir Meta Knight.

Meta Knight did not slow down, in fact he went on a full tilt run like death as at his heels. Moving so fast the knight looked like a speeding blur of navy blue as he passed through Cappy Town, dodging anything that got in his way. Many were confused as they saw the blur along with Sword and Blade Knight went chasing after it." I wonder what they are chasing after?" Said a girl with yellow skin with a pink and green zigzag dress, and a ponytail; Tiff." Maybe it's a demon beast" spoke a boy with blue overalls, shaggy green and yellow hair that covered his eyes completely; Bun. " Let go get Kirby and then head for the castle" said Tiff as she and her brother began to run east." Something horrible is about to happen... I just don't know what..." Said the knight to himself as he dashed across the drawbridge and into the castle, less than ten minutes elapsed.

" I never knew... how fast... Sir Meta Knight could run... up until now" huffed Sword Knight at the entrance of the castle." Blade! Sword!" Came two voices." That sounds like Tiff and Bun" said Blade Knight as he turned around just in time to see the fore mentioned run up to them." Poyo" greeted Kirby in his baby talk while smiling." We thought you are chasing after a demon beast so we brought Kirby along with us" spoke Tiff as she gazed at the two knaves with a look suggesting for more information." Actually it's-" before Sword Knight could go any further an explosion rocked the ground making the group fall to the group." It most likely came from the throne room" spoke Blade Knight as he stood, weapon drawn." We have to hurry! Meta Knight may need our assistance" Said Sword Knight as everyone ran deeper into the castle.

Smoke soon filled the corridors of the castle making it impossible for the group of five to see." Ugh, Kirby suck up all of this smoke" said Tiff as she began to cough. Kirby nodded his head before jumping back slightly and opening his mouth wide open. A wind funnel formed, capturing the smoke and began to be channeled into Kirby's mouth." Thanks Kirby, now we can see and breathe" spoke Bun as he nodded to Kirby before running after Sword, Blade and Tiff.

When they reached the threshold of the throne room it was like stepping into a desert with a raging inferno." What in tarnation is going on?! You said this one will get rid of Kirby! NOT DESTROY MY CASTLE!" bellowed King DeDeDe' voice in a mixture of rage and fear." Come on, we need to get in there" said Blade Knight as he jumped through the wall of fire. The three children were unsure until Sword Knight jumped in after him mentioning that Sir Meta Knight could be in trouble at this rate" His right, let's go Kirby" said Tuff bracing himself before jumping through the firewall." Poyo" said Kirby with determination, sucking up a small pieces of the fire as he too jumped into the flames, transforming into Fire Kirby." Here goes nothing" said Tiff at herself before jumping into the fire.

It was oddly cool considering that they did jump into fire. One could say it was even fall temperature, and very unnatural. When Blade and Sword Knight were sure everyone made it through without too much harm they turned their attention to the scene in front of them. Of all the demon beasts to be brought back to life it had to be this one, though only the knight truly knew what it was capable of for the knaves had only heard their Lord tell them about it once. Considering that it was supposed to be dead, though once again this fact known only to knaves and knight, shocked the entering party of friends-mainly Blade and Sword. It was about twice the size from the original and was pure jet black with glowing white eyes. But, something else wasn't quite right; something that made the air catch in their throat.

There in it's mouth was the leather strap attached to Sir Meta Knight' mask, bloodied and dented." About time you got here! Now get this thing out of here!" Commanded the heavy set blue penguin in white and red robes; the king. Not taking a moment longer the two knaves charged at the demon with a battle. They were swatted away like mere flies by its clawed paw. Kirby , anger at the beast for throwing his friends around, charged at the demon in a form of a fireball. His attack struck it straight in the chest causing the silver mask to clicking to the floor. King DeDeDe followed suit with a swing of his large wooden heavy hammer at the demon' head. It's eyes flashed before the blue penguin was shot in the face with a fireball, his coughing was a sign he was still alive." Ugh, you need a mint" commented King DeDeDe as he waved his hand in front of his yellow beak to get rid of the horrid breath lingering there. The beadt growled while turning around to face the two knaves, a sword embedded in between it's shoulder blades. With all the fire and smoke it was pure luck that Sword Knight was able to strike the demon at all.

With a roar it charged at the two brothers at arms, killing them was evident in it's eyes. Sword , who now held a medium sized dagger, and Blade Knight stood their ground as the demon came closer and closer." Kabu! Send the warp star!" Shouted Tiff as she couldn't just standby while Sword and Blade are about to possibly get seriously injured. Far off beyond Whispy Woods one could hear Kabu' thunderous voice releasing the warp star. A golden levitating star soon swiped Kirby off his feet and after the demon. With a fireball of his own Kirby managed to hit the demon on it's side as it attempted to leap out of the way of the attack.

Seeing their chance Blade Knight and Sword Knight dealt a blow to the back of its head. They knew they could not defeat it without a large body of water so for now they will try to lure it out by use of it's rage. The attack made the demon stumble and slay before looking at the culprits. It's eyes flashed with wrath before running after the knaves, who ran out the throne room once the attack was carried out. The others followed, excluding King DeDeDe who as too busy fuming to help while bashing Escargoon repeatedly on the head with his hammer. Tiff, Bun, and Kirby knew what the two knaves might be planning. Around the castle is a malt and like most malt are filled to the brim with fresh clear water, along with the down pour of rain.

Now the battle continued outside on the drawbridge. With more room to move about the demon became harder to hit along with being dangerously close to the side edge of the bridge and more angered at each raindrop that hit it's body. Kirby abandoned his copy ability of fire to suck up the sword stuck in the beast' back, transforming into Sword Kirby. A gleam of gold caught the baby star warrior' eye as he jumped off his warp star and into the air above everyone. With a mighty slash downward an arch of light escaped the sword, it sliced through the demon knocking it backwards into the malt below. The golden object the Hero of DreamLand saw before flew through the air and struck the drawbridge pointing downward while the demon roared in pain before exploding.

Sword Knight walked up to the golden thing embedded in the drawbridge wood, seeing the object Kirby saw fly off the demon he began to sprint towards it realizing what it was; Galaxia. He very much knew he could not touch it else he wanted to get electrocuted, but he had to try; he couldn't just leave to here anyway. Without considering that Kirby can easily wield the legendary sword, Sword Knight grasped Galaxia' handle. Strangely enough it did not shock him, surprising the ones who watched his actions. A voice rang his ears, he was sure he might go deaf from it's sheer volume." Hurry back into the castle! Sir Meta Knight is in dangerous! " Came a female' voice in Sword Knight' mind; the spirit of Galaxia. Tiff gasped as the voice traveled through her mind like an echo, she wasn't the only one with the similar experience." Come on, we need to hurry back inside" spoke Blade Knight as he ran back into the castle while thinking about how they could forget about their Lord.

When they entered the throne room once again, with King DeDeDe and Escargoon nowhere in sight, they heard heavy breathing coming from the Demon Beast Delivery Machine. Kirby ran up to it first followed by Sword Knight and Blade Knight then Tiff and Bun. It was obvious to everyone that he was hurt for Sir Meta Knight laid on his side clutching it with both hands. Burns crisscrossed over nearly every inch of his form though unsure of the damage on his face for it being covered by his mask. The knight' dull yellow eyes flickered like he was fighting to stay awake, and indeed he was. The most frightening condition of their friend was the blood pooling around him. Sword and Blade Knight turned him on his back to fully asses the damage done and stop the bleeding. Meanwhile, Kirby 'poyo'ed sadly at his mentor and friend while Tiff covered her mouth in shock along with Bun. Soon Sir Meta Knight' breathing grew more slow and his visor became pitch black; losing consciousness." His going to be alright, he pulled through worse" spoke Blade Knight as he helped hoist Sir Meta Knight onto Sword Knight' back. A sigh of relief came from the children as they all exited the throne room. Sir Meta Knight arms laid limply over Sword Knight' shoulder guards, as he rested.

...

During their walk back to their Lord's room, Sir Meta Knight shifted once and briefly opened his eyes. He could feel himself sway slightly each step Sword Knight took and hear the muffled sound of rain. 'What happened?' Thought the knight as blurred colors moved across his vision. He could hear someone say his name though he was too disoriented to concentrate of whom the voice came from before closing his eyes.

The next time Sir Meta Knight gained consciousness he could see the stone corridor of the castle and the darkness that laid beyond. All around him he could hear whispers, louder this time, talking about some recent event. Then pain racked through his body starting from his left side making him once again lose consciousness.

...

" Are you sure he will be okay?" Asked Tiff as she watched the two knaves apply first aid to Sir Meta Knight' burns and wound, who laid motionless on his bed." He regained consciousness two times though they were merely five seconds each he is too tough to give up that easily" replied Blade Knight as he rubbed cooling ointment on Sir Meta Knight' burns, not a sound came from him." Well as long as his still breathing..." Added Sword Knight as he cleaned and bandaged his Lord' wound." Well I'm leaving, hope Sir Meta Knight feels better; come on Kirby let's go watch some T.V" said Tiff as he left the room along with Kirby bouncing happily behind after waving goodbye." You should go too Tiff, no need to worry about Sir Meta Knight" spoke Blade Knight as he turned to face the girl when he was done with applying first aid, likewise for Sword Knight." I know, I just want answers" replied Tiff as she looked away from Blade' gaze, unsure if she could get answers." Us too" agreed Blade Knight as he looked back at his resting Lord who shifted onto his uninjured side, his back facing them." Sir Meta Knight hasn't been himself ever since it started raining a couple of days ago; we can tell you what we know over a cup of tea" said Sword Knight as he gestured for Tiff to sit at the coffee table, which they have set out for cards the day before.

" It all started, like I said, a couple of days ago when we were out training with Sir Meta Knight" spoke Blade Knight as sipped his tea by slightly tilting his visor upward. " It was us against him, we only for battled for about five minutes before it's started to rain; but we didn't stop because it was just harmless water" continued Sword Knight while Tiff began sipping her tea, nodding for then to continue." Or so we thought, it happened so fast that we thought we were just our imagination; the rain turned black" said Blade Knight." Sir Meta Knight seemed have seen the same thing too because we all stopped at the exact same time" Spoke Sword Knight before placing his cup down along with Blade Knight." Then what happened?" Asked Tiff as she too followed the knaves action, a hint of worry in her voice.

" He told us to get inside before we catch the flu, though he was concerned about our health, it was like he was only telling us half of what he knew but it was clear as day in his eyes: Stay out of the rain" said Blade as he finished up the rest of his tea with a sigh while Sword looked over his shoulder at their Lord." Well you kind of went against his orders but why was he not heeding his own warning?" Asked Tiff for Sir Meta Knight did not strike her as a hypocrite in that particular situation." He tries to keep mass panic from breaking out, because if you think about it black rain that possibly has devilish side effects with so much a speck of water would set anyone on the edge and we all know how paranoia affects the town people" spoke Sword as he returned his attention to Tiff and his brother at arms." Yeah, I guess your right" said Tiff as she stared down at her empty cup thinking about the time Kirby first came to Cappy Town.

"It's getting later and your parents are probably wondering where you are" said Blade as he gazed out the window that viewed the setting sun." Okay, see you later then and if Sir Meta Knight wakes up tell him I am glad he is okay" said the yellow girl before getting up to leave the room." We will pass on the message and don't worry he would never fall to such an injury" replied Sword." Thank you" was the last thing the girl said as she disappeared behind the wooden door.

"Are you sure you should be saying that to her? " questioned Blade as he put the tea set outside the door for the waddle dees to take to the kitchen for cleaning." It was mainly for me and you personally" responded Sword as he gazed at his companion ." Don't forget who protects who" said Blade sternly

while checking his Lord's bandages, back turned from the other knave." I know, he certainly is a fragile person ever since that event in the past" spoke Sword softly as Blade sighed with an air of sadness." Hopefully it won't happen again because one episode is one too many" said Blade as he turned to face his brother, who stared at the stone floor." Hey, we will all get through this together like we always have" the words of encouragement and a hand on the shoulder from Blade made Sword begin to smile. Knowing the other for so long Blade knew he had gotten him to smile which in turn made him smile.


End file.
